Intrepid Pro Dual 828
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on may 20, 2011 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Price paid: $ 799.99

Features: -Natural Satin Finish
-Mahogany Body
-5 piece Maple/Walnut Neck
-Neck-thru body
-Ebony Fretboard
-24 Jumbo Frets
-28.625" Scale Length
-15" Radius
-2 Passive Cephus pickups
-1 Vol/1 Tone
-Graphite Nut
-Agile Standard Bridge
-Grover Tuners
As the variety of woods, finishes, and electronics are vast, I consider myself very lucky to get this assortment as this is pretty much my perfect combination. Ebony is a beloved wood of mine and I'm not a huge fan of actives, so the fact that I was able to get the two made me very happy. I think the only change I'd really make would be extra jumbo frets instead of jumbo.
What irks me is that on their production models, the parts you get vary and for me the guitar varied largely from the picture. When I ordered this guitar, the picture on the website showed that it was also routed so that actives could replace the passives. When I received the guitar, it was quite the opposite and was routed for passive pickups only. Also, my friend ordered a guitar similar to mine that was only $699.99 but came Standard with a Hipshot bridge. Now, of course, I am jealous because I have to spend roughly $114 just to get the same bridge. // 8

Sound: Now the sound of an 8 string is very unique and takes some time to find the right combination of all factors to get your tone in order. First off, you're going to have significant more lows so you'll need to eq your amp to be able to handle those new lows and be able to balance them with the highs.
The pickups that come with this guitar are moderate at best; they get the job done, but you'll want to look for a replacement. Unfortunately, no company makes a cheap 8 string passive so finding a good 8 string passive will most likely run you $200 at the cheapest per pickup. As of now, I am looking into a set of Bare Knuckle Coldsweats, which will run me about $420 dollars for the pair so I've got some money I need to save up. A neck pickup is a great choice for this guitar if you want to get the most out of the tonal range. You can get a lot of really cool arpeggios and bass lines that the neck pickup really helps to get a jazzy kind of tone. The Bridge pickup sounds good for being such a cheap pickup, yet it is still a little muddy and the low end notes don't always come through as clearly as they could be. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: Playing this guitar will be awkward at first, especially if you are doing what I did and jumping from a 6 directly to an 8. The neck is very wide but it is also comfortable once you get the feel of it. When I first got this guitar the action was very low and easy to play. The 9s that came on it were a good choice for anyone not wanting to drop tune this guitar. For me, I wanted to tune it down a half step to get a tone more like Meshuggah and After The Burial. I decided to get a 7 string set of Elixirs (.010-.056) but unfortunately Elixir doesn't make a guitar string bigger than a.068 so I decided on a GHS.074 which I'm not exactly happy with due to the odd smell and difference in tone that the GHS creates as compared to my Elixirs. The action now seems a tad high, but once I get my upgrades then I'll truly look into that. The radius is extremely flat and the frets could be a little bigger. I have a hard time doing multiple string arpeggios due to the smaller frets and super flat radius. If you want to get an 8 string Agile, I suggest you save up a little more money and get the Interceptor Pro. I would've much preferred those guitars due to their carved tops and larger frets. The finish is fantastic though. The satin feels amazing and is not oily in the least bit. Since my guitar is completely natural there is no paint on the guitar to have any flaws, so this guitar has a flawless finish in my opinion. // 7

Reliability & Durability: Now this guitar barely goes out of tune due to the graphite nut. The grover tuners also add to the great tuning stability of this instrument. The wood is very dense and without a painted finish it shows wear not nearly as easily. I have not played live with this guitar yet but when I get the chance I will not hesitate. I always put DiMarzio Clip Lock straps on my guitars so I never worry about my guitar hitting the ground. // 9

Overall Impression: I was honestly very impressed with this guitar. I had no idea what to expect from Agile guitars because there are no stores that deal these guitars. It was truly a shot in the dark with this guitar and it was able to pull itself through; enough to get me into 8 string guitars and to hopefully purchase another. As you look at other companies who offer 8 string guitars, Agile is definitely one of the best values. Agile offers the most options for 8 strings without going custom, hands down. Rondo Music even offers Custom Agiles to order at certain times on their website. It is honestly one of the best deals for 8 strings around. Now although it is a great deal, be weary of the options that are available on the guitars. Although the Intrepids are beautiful and unique guitars, I would recommend more the Interceptor Pro due to the larger frets. I would also consider a longer scale next time to get a tighter tone and have the ability to use all Elixir strings on my guitar. It's completely preference though, and when set up correctly these guitars soar. They're quite unique guitars at that and I will most likely purchase another in the near future (the Interceptor Pro, of course). // 8

metalhead_99801 wrote:
EpiExplorer wrote:
I'd one day like to see a UG review on the 930.
Most pointless guitar in production? Possibly so, but I really want one!
how so? i have the interceptor pro 730 and its ****ing beast. I'll be picking up an Agile 8 here in the next week or so, glad to see someone else knows where the value is at.

9 strings is even more overkill then 8 strings.
That being said, I really want one of these. This or Damien Elite 8?

Cannibal Koala wrote:
metalhead_99801 wrote:
EpiExplorer wrote:
I'd one day like to see a UG review on the 930.
Most pointless guitar in production? Possibly so, but I really want one!
how so? i have the interceptor pro 730 and its ****ing beast. I'll be picking up an Agile 8 here in the next week or so, glad to see someone else knows where the value is at.
9 strings is even more overkill then 8 strings.
That being said, I really want one of these. This or Damien Elite 8?

Damien Elite is Bolt-on. That alone should be the seller. Schecters are solid as hell, but I wouldn't go that far into ERGs without expecting a set neck or neck-thru construction.

I have four agiles, all of them are in my opinion the best guitars i've ever owned not custom made for me. Their materials are high quality, they don't cut corners on production, they set it to a beautifully low action with great feel to it straight out of the factory.
To those of you who think 8 strings are pointless, they are for you. To use an 8 string for its full effect, learn some theory, learn how it applies to guitar, learn some jazz (because if you haven't, why the hell are you using anything with more than 6 strings in the first place?) and remember that your own style will be your best friend when writing music for 8 strings. It's easy to do djent, just hit it hard and play some syncopated rhythms with ambient effect in the back and time your open hits to the bass kick, but if you want to do new and inventive things, be yourself (in a musical sense)

The main problem with Agile is that they have a fanbase in europe yet seem like they dont care to acommadate it, even if they are an independant business. I've always wanted a Hornet, when I went to buy one, they wouldn't let me because they'd run out of hardcases, couldn't ship it over, and were going to charge an exorbitant amount for shipping. Also the whole american thing of adding VAT on afterwards pisses me off, I would have ended up paying over 700 for a guitar advertised as $799. (dollars to pounds, nasty business)

I own an Agile Septor 828 with the Cepheus pickups and I love the guitar. The guitar plays very nicely and they are very well crafted guitars. One word of caution is that the guitar does not come with the best of set ups, so the first thing you will want to do is customize your set up (whether you know how to do set ups yourself, or take it to a shop). The stock pickups aren't the best (definitely not a Lundgren M8 or an EMG 808), but they get the job done (plus you can always get one of the models with 808s for a little more). 700 and some change for the guitar, baritone case, and a couple sets of Labella Crazy 8 strings. I would definitely recommend Agile 8 strings and plan to get another Septor 828 (probably with EMGs next time) once I have the funds again.

Yeah man. Agile has a lot of high quality guitars for insanely low prices. I've got an Agile Septor 727 that I've put a BKP Aftermath/Cold Sweat set in. This guitar is amazing, and it's built like a tank.

azria032 wrote:
sewoo55 wrote:
EpiExplorer wrote:
Most pointless guitar in production? Possibly so, but I really want one!
..... is it just me, or does epiexplorer feel the need to be a mild troll wherever he goes?
"wherever he goes" is everywhere.

I got mine to germany and it was pretty cheap.
make sure you buy around 3 guitars at a time there with ya mates, that makes shippin 20$ for every guitar more then one.
The VAT and shipping (which you can distribute on all guitars equally quite low then) make it so I roughly pay the amount of dollars in euro -> extremely great prices.
I have my thrusty Hornet pro 7 and a Harm 1, and I plan to get more Agile as soon as they restock this summer.

CapnKickass wrote:
Shazazmic wrote:
CapnKickass wrote:
weary is supposed to be wary. 2 totally different words there. just saying since I've seen it more then once now.
And "then" is totally different than "than".
psh, than is for squares.

It's also for people who have attempted to look cool on the internet, but have dramatically failed with a common ****tarded mistake.
also, nice guitar.

They now have an Intrepid Elite that comes with Blackouts but they cost $849 not counting shipping with shipping its like 870 or so... a BlackJack ATX C-8 is $899 or lower if you call Drumcityguitarland and it comes with Ebony fretboard, blackouts, and Set neck, with double graphite rod enforcement on the neck... seems like Agiles are gettin to big for their price points at least in this area.

nifty1234 wrote:
I have four agiles, all of them are in my opinion the best guitars i've ever owned not custom made for me. Their materials are high quality, they don't cut corners on production, they set it to a beautifully low action with great feel to it straight out of the factory.
To those of you who think 8 strings are pointless, they are for you. To use an 8 string for its full effect, learn some theory, learn how it applies to guitar, learn some jazz (because if you haven't, why the hell are you using anything with more than 6 strings in the first place?) and remember that your own style will be your best friend when writing music for 8 strings. It's easy to do djent, just hit it hard and play some syncopated rhythms with ambient effect in the back and time your open hits to the bass kick, but if you want to do new and inventive things, be yourself (in a musical sense)

Perhaps one of the most ignorant and close-minded comments I have ever come across on this site and that's really saying something...
First off, the fact that it has 8 strings doesn't mean you need to go learn some theory, some jazz, etc. It's literally like getting a keyboard with 88 keys over 54. It is an extended range instrument. You have more capabilities utilizing pitch because of this extended range, that's it.
Secondly, just a heads up but progressive metal has become a main stay for the 7 string guitar (my answer to why the hell I'd be using more than 6 strings.. >..

I then went on to laugh at your djent comment, because you fail to realize it is a tonality... Do you not Google things when you are even unsure? You should start.
If you own 4 Agiles go play one and stop writing useless comments on here
I don't mean to sound bitter but you really have no clue about anything you're talking about and I am afraid someone might actually listen to you..
I had a bunch more written, don't understand why this got cut off to begin with...
Your ignorance has talked me out of an Agile, good day to you sir!

While I basically agree with you Zeppelin Addict, there is a good point to knowing theory before you grab an 8 string. It's not exactly necessary, it will be much easier to actually utilize effectively an extended range guitar if you have a grasp already on the fretboard of a 6 string.
But u have no idea what the hell jazz has to do with it. I don't know if I've ever seen a jazz player with an 8 string. I always seem them as a prog rock/technical metal instrument.

zirkonflex wrote:
I got mine to germany and it was pretty cheap.
make sure you buy around 3 guitars at a time there with ya mates, that makes shippin 20$ for every guitar more then one.
The VAT and shipping (which you can distribute on all guitars equally quite low then) make it so I roughly pay the amount of dollars in euro -> extremely great prices.
I have my thrusty Hornet pro 7 and a Harm 1, and I plan to get more Agile as soon as they restock this summer.

Kivarenn82 wrote:
Not to be nitpicky, but i dont think the guitar in the picture has an ebony fretboard, or actives. Besides that, the agiles kick ass. i love my septor, and am jonesin for a 7 string pendulum

Yeah sorry about that man. My guitar was a super limited Agile. It was the first that I had ever seen with the wood and finish combination it had. I probably should have attached a picture with this.

I just got one of these and was surprised at the build quality, playability and tone. I'm not a fan of actives and the EMG 808s sound good dirty...and even pretty good clean. Having never played an 8 before, I was intimidated, but it is surprisingly easy to play. The bridge is very nice (kahler trem), smooth as silk and stable with locking nut, etc. It's about the same weight as my Les Paul (i.e heavy) but my only complaint is that they could have done some contouring where your picking arm rests. That's a pet peeve I have for all guitars that don't have the nice round strat edge, however. Overall a great value and high quality guitar in my opinion (coming from someone who's been playing for 35 years and has 20+guitars).